Vega 56, 5700, or 2060?

tantalus

Limp Gawd
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Apr 25, 2006
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I want to upgrade my old 7950 to a new card. I game as much as fatherhood allows, which is for me only a few hours/week.

I don't do e-sports type games. Most I play stuff like Rise of the Tomb Raider, Dark Souls III, Red Dead Redemption 2 (when available), etc. etc.

I have a 1080p monitor at 60hz (rest of rig is in sig). That's not likely to change soon. I like to hold on to my components for awhile.

I know that a 580/590 would be perfectly fine for me right now, but I want to have some headroom for the next few years. Which of these three cards would be best? I'm leaning toward the Vega, just because it's cheapest, and I'm a bit wary of the 6gb ram on the 2060 (and I don't see myself caring about RTX), but I could shell out for the 5700 if the Vega is a penny-wise, pound-foolish sort of thing.

Any advice?
 
Why are you comparing the vega 56 and 5700? The 5700 is generally faster than Vega 64 and easily beats the 2060 (especially non super version). If you can afford it, I think from your list 5700 is the best. Not sure what prices you're really looking at or games, etc. The 2060 is better than the vega 56 and uses less power to boot. Unless there is a substantial price difference I think the 2060 would be better than Vega 56 if you can't spring for the 5700. Of course, opinions may vary
 
I know the 5700 is a better card, but it's also more expensive than the Vega, which I can buy used on here or new for around $230. And I don't know if the 5700 is overkill for 1080p at 60hz. If it is, then I don't need to spend the money.
 
I know the 5700 is a better card, but it's also more expensive than the Vega, which I can buy used on here or new for around $230. And I don't know if the 5700 is overkill for 1080p at 60hz. If it is, then I don't need to spend the money.
even the vega 56 is overkill at 1080p 60hz.. i'm currently running 1080p 75hz with a vega 56 and i sit at pretty much 100fps+ with every game maxed out completely and honestly i think it might even be higher in some of the games once my 3600 shows up since i know my 1600 is holding me back. i'm going to end up moving to 1440p at some point, just don't have enough time to really game anymore so i haven't bothered.

if you have no plans on moving up to 1440p or 144hz since cost is a factor i'd recommend either an rx580/rx590, or used 1060 6GB or 1070(which is overkill like the vega 56) or 1660. also 6GB is more than enough for 1080p.. forza horizon 4 is the only game i've seen that even breaks 4GB of vram and that caps out at 4.8GB with everything maxed out.
 
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Honestly, if you don't do a lot of gaming (or competitive gaming) then it's probably overkill for 1080. I run rx560's in 2 of my boxes, and an rx570 in another and my radeon fury in my main... I just don't game a lot and those all run the games me and the kids play @ 1080 just fine. From what it sounds, the vega 56 @ it's current price is probably the best option for your needs. Heck, my fury has last me many years and still runs faster than an rx580... and is just now starting to show it's weaknesses with 4gb of ram vs the vega 56 and similar but still trades blows with the rx590, then again I do more compiling than gaming now a days.
 
Thanks. I want *some* overkill, b/c I want the card to last me several years and handle more demanding games as they come out. I just don't want useless overkill. So it sounds like the Vega is where it's at. I just wish they had better fans; I'm wary of the blowers.
 
Is always a tough call, go with something nearly as modern or with the most modern spec

for my $ I would be looking around the 2070 level .. i.e V56+ though for the sheer performance uplift I myself am waiting till have the coin and aftermarket 5700s start filtering out.. I myself do not mind blower at all, prefer them actually but not the way either AMD nor Nvidia slap on their GPU.. I KNOW there is easy enough ways to boost their cooling performance while keeping noise way less than they do (reduce the constrained rad design they use)

I like them simply cause they help to make case airflow work with and not against itself.

Vega 56 or 64 with voltage tuning (take the time, it is SO worth it) or Radeon 5700s same thing (though not needed as much, still helps a LOT) Nvidia 1xxx/2xxx are their own thing ..

speaking of which, why not 1660Ti ? .. Going something raytrace enabled "for the future" is not a valid thing IMHO as likely by that time "hey this looks cool, I want to try it" a 2060 and likely even 2080Ti will be so underpowered will require and upgrade anyways.

sounds like you chasing "for the now" with room for the future sort of speak.. I would wait for aftermarket cooled 5700s come out OR get one now and liquid cool the biotch
 
I been buying my time for Ryzen cpu 's and a 3600 with the 8Gb RX 570 will play anything 1080p which is a micro 290x replacement . . bought one when free games came with them and was like the Holy Grail of video cards = once those games released .. it was like buys these two AAA Titles and get this video card for $49 = almost free and modern to the point I spend the video card money on Free Sync Panel as what OP said

sounds like you chasing "for the now" with room for the future sort of speak.. I would wait for aftermarket cooled 5700s come out OR get one now and liquid cool the biotch

future proof is not spending $350 on something my R9 290x can not still eat all day long at 1080p Ultra
 
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If you want it to last a few years, I would say Vega 56 is the minimum to consider. Yes even V56 is overkill for 1080P today, but in a year or two it might just be enough power for 1080P 60 FPS. Like mentioned above, Vega benefits greatly from voltage tuning. The 5700 is certainly a better bet if the price difference isn't a factor. For the green team I too would say 1660TI *might* be sufficient for your goal. The RTX cards for today are silly to invest in for Ray Tracing when looking a few years down the road. All of them save the 2080 and 2080TI will struggle at that point to provide a playable experience with RT on.

I've seen some Vega 56s got for $175-185 used on here. At that price point it's hard to argue with the performance.
 
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I kept the 1660ti out of the running because it's not as powerful as the Vega and more expensive.. MSRP is the same, but Vegas go on sale more often, and you can get them used more easily (at least on here; I don't use Ebay for this kind of stuff).

Is always a tough call, go with something nearly as modern or with the most modern spec

for my $ I would be looking around the 2070 level .. i.e V56+ though for the sheer performance uplift I myself am waiting till have the coin and aftermarket 5700s start filtering out.. I myself do not mind blower at all, prefer them actually but not the way either AMD nor Nvidia slap on their GPU.. I KNOW there is easy enough ways to boost their cooling performance while keeping noise way less than they do (reduce the constrained rad design they use)

I like them simply cause they help to make case airflow work with and not against itself.

Vega 56 or 64 with voltage tuning (take the time, it is SO worth it) or Radeon 5700s same thing (though not needed as much, still helps a LOT) Nvidia 1xxx/2xxx are their own thing ..

speaking of which, why not 1660Ti ? .. Going something raytrace enabled "for the future" is not a valid thing IMHO as likely by that time "hey this looks cool, I want to try it" a 2060 and likely even 2080Ti will be so underpowered will require and upgrade anyways.

sounds like you chasing "for the now" with room for the future sort of speak.. I would wait for aftermarket cooled 5700s come out OR get one now and liquid cool the biotch
 
I'm having the same debate. The 2060 Super does not look that good and is beaten in almost everything by the stock 2070. I want the 5700XT, but based on what I've read it's the same situation as Vega in that it runs so hot it enters throttling, not to mention the loud blower. Maybe once some better cooled third-party versions come out, or in a few years when the 2070 Super price drops to only 20% over MSRP.
 
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I want to upgrade my old 7950 to a new card. I game as much as fatherhood allows, which is for me only a few hours/week.

I don't do e-sports type games. Most I play stuff like Rise of the Tomb Raider, Dark Souls III, Red Dead Redemption 2 (when available), etc. etc.

I have a 1080p monitor at 60hz (rest of rig is in sig). That's not likely to change soon. I like to hold on to my components for awhile.

I know that a 580/590 would be perfectly fine for me right now, but I want to have some headroom for the next few years. Which of these three cards would be best? I'm leaning toward the Vega, just because it's cheapest, and I'm a bit wary of the 6gb ram on the 2060 (and I don't see myself caring about RTX), but I could shell out for the 5700 if the Vega is a penny-wise, pound-foolish sort of thing.

Any advice?

I`d say considering you mentioned your limited time and the monitor specs, I`d wager that I`d go for the cheapest 580/590/1660ti and call it a day. Unless your planning to switch out the monitor for say a a 4k monitor, I dont know if I`d advise for anything above it.

I understand that a 2060 and RTX is savory to future proofing crowds, but the product in its current form isnt that great, its primary purpose is to serve as a stepping stone into the future of RTX.
 
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Since it sounds like you can afford it......just get the 5700 as its close to same performance (+5% overall) as the vega64 and 349 (which is same i paid for my card new) ITs a solid value for the money. From where im at with my current card its a much harder sell....but coming from a 7950 i think you be delighted and when that display upgrade bug sets in youl be ready (i tend to hold onto my hardware for a while too)
 
Is always a tough call, go with something nearly as modern or with the most modern spec

for my $ I would be looking around the 2070 level .. i.e V56+ though for the sheer performance uplift I myself am waiting till have the coin and aftermarket 5700s start filtering out.. I myself do not mind blower at all, prefer them actually but not the way either AMD nor Nvidia slap on their GPU.. I KNOW there is easy enough ways to boost their cooling performance while keeping noise way less than they do (reduce the constrained rad design they use)

I like them simply cause they help to make case airflow work with and not against itself.

Vega 56 or 64 with voltage tuning (take the time, it is SO worth it) or Radeon 5700s same thing (though not needed as much, still helps a LOT) Nvidia 1xxx/2xxx are their own thing ..

speaking of which, why not 1660Ti ? .. Going something raytrace enabled "for the future" is not a valid thing IMHO as likely by that time "hey this looks cool, I want to try it" a 2060 and likely even 2080Ti will be so underpowered will require and upgrade anyways.

sounds like you chasing "for the now" with room for the future sort of speak.. I would wait for aftermarket cooled 5700s come out OR get one now and liquid cool the biotch
1660 to costs more than the vega 56 and rarely outpaces it from what I remember.. I had the same thought but didn't seem like a compelling use case due to slower speeds, neither supports rtx (not that it's useful there) and it's got the same 6gb issue as the 2060. Only reason to even consider is power/noise being better than Vega.
 
Vega is budget king at the moment. Bit of undervolt and you're away with a quiet and cool card even on blower unlike people who have a very loud opinion about them whilst never owning them.
 
For max bang4buck used is where its at of course. I agree with many posts already that for 1080p 60 for a few years Vega 56/1070 is your sweet spot. I you want to upgrade sooner and spend less now the 580 for 100 or less is darn good.

Here on the FS/FT thread people have been selling nice AIB Vegas for 250 or less and thats solid on one of those. 1070s can be had cheaper and really both are great for what you are looking for .

EDIT: If you are going 300 then one of the current gen cards is probably better if you keep it for more than a few years.
 
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I suppose that (Vega) is combining at least 2 things AMD tends to do well, with a downclock/devolting their on the fly and overall power consumption drops like a rock, conversely they need a similar "jumper cable" to push them above their various ceilings and they just fly...


Myself was always a price thing, but, if the price is reduced, and you take the time to reduce the clock speeds/voltage to "normal levels" to NOT chase keeping up with the "sports cars" (sort of speak) they become a very effective "machine" that is not all that "fuel" hungry.


V56 / RX5700 .. V64 / RX 5700XT .. course RX 5xxx benefit more boost clock + "guaranteed clock" (overall far more effective "grunt" same base spec list (HBM vs GDDR6 "biggest" change) not too sure about min clock/volt side of the coin however, they may already be as low as they on average will go vs declock/volt Vega ones ( I am inquisitive) ^.^
 
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At that resolution and with that game inventory, I'd go with the 2060. I have one, and really appreciate the power / temp efficiency.
 
Of those 3, I'd bet that the Vega 56 has the most bang-for-buck potential at 1080P. I've seen them below $200 used in our own FS/FT area, but got my father one at $200. It's probably the best "modern" tinkerer's card given how far flashing/volt mod/powerplay table software modding can take it.
 
Unless your going to bump the resolution and or refresh in the next year or two. Check out pricing on used RX 580 / 590s. If you can pick up a decent 8gb 580 cheap you will likely be just as happy at 1080. New I would go 5700... used Vega sure if you really do find a screaming deal on a card that hasn't been mining 24/7 for 2 years.

PS hell for that matter check your local part shops for RX 570s. Here and there you will find a shop that has picked up a bunch. Well built 570s can outperform cheapo 580s... and new you can sometimes score then at very cheap pricing. I picked up a gigabyte 570 earlier this year for around $130 US new no issues playing most games well north of 75fps.
 
I've owned 8 VEGA 56/64s (going back to launch week), 3 VIIs (again launch week), and now a 5700XT 50th (one more time, launch week)....I really loved tinkering with the VEGAs (I should note I slap a full cover block on everything so it's a bit different then just air), 95% of them will undervolt and if you get a reference card they will do 1050+Mhz on the HBM (as long as it's Samsung ram) which nets you double digit gains on V56/64...But I would have to argue in favor of the 5700 (even if you cannot afford the XT)...

Navi is faster, even on the stock blower you should be able to maintain 1900Mhz+, and a mild ram OC if you raise the fan speed...The thing about Navi is how smooth the gaming experience is. I have used FreeSync will all of them, but the 5700XT posts the best frame times. I have not even gotten the XT under water yet, thanks to EK's BS, but I expect it to be even better once I can knock 45C off the load temps.

if you have a MC nearby, as mentioned above, they have the Sapphire 5700s for $299, which is INSANE. You get an extra $50 if you buy a CPU as well. I'm sure someone on here would like to get a sweet deal on a Ryzen cpu, so they would pay you to get it for them and then you save the $50 if you do not need a CPU yourself.

As far as overkill goes, the simple answer to that is VSR. I would run 1440P~1800P (depending on the game) which gives you a nice image quality boost. This applies to any of the AMD cards.
 
I love that the op mentioned time constraints and folks suggest "downclock/devolting" and all sorts of tinkering....while not wrong with regards to capability, I doubt anyone looking to maximize time wants to add less play and more fine tuning stuff
 
I love that the op mentioned time constraints and folks suggest "downclock/devolting" and all sorts of tinkering....while not wrong with regards to capability, I doubt anyone looking to maximize time wants to add less play and more fine tuning stuff

This is [H]ardforum! :ROFLMAO:

Soft modding isn't even difficult. It took all of 5-10 minutes to download the Vega 64 BIOS and flash my Vega 56, and I'm a dad with a 2-year old and a newborn, but have never flashed a GPU's BIOS before. We still got a lot of "turn-key" suggestions here, but you can't seriously expect us not to dip our toes in the minutiae.
 
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Yeah, I'm willing to fart around a little bit... The problem seems to be finding a Vega that is flashable.

This is [H]ardforum! :ROFLMAO:

Soft modding isn't even difficult. It took all of 5-10 minutes to download the Vega 64 BIOS and flash my Vega 56, and I'm a dad who's never done it before with a newborn and a 2-year old. We'll still got a lot of "turn-key" suggestions here, but you can't seriously expect us not to dip our toes in the minutiae.
 
I know the 5700 is a better card, but it's also more expensive than the Vega, which I can buy used on here or new for around $230. And I don't know if the 5700 is overkill for 1080p at 60hz. If it is, then I don't need to spend the money.

Yes, it's way overkill for 1080p/60hz
 
not so much cause using VSR to up resolution to 1440p or sometimes even 2160p (at times) looks so much better than just normal 1080p. (just saying it has its uses)
Yep. I just played the Half-Life series in 5K DSR on a 1080p ultrawide monitor. Of course real resolution is the best, but DSR/VSR still looks amazing and is a huge improvement over 1080p.

Also if you were wondering why I have a 2080 Ti and a 1080p monitor. That is why (and also to get best performance for RTX games).
 
I'd say go with a 5700, XT if you can swing it. Better performance, overclocking, and power usage.

I've owned a few Vegas (dual 56s flashed, 64, now VII), and they are really fun to tinker with, and a fully tweaked 56 is price/performance king, but an OC'ed Vega 56 it won't hold a candle to an OC'ed 5700.
 
I'd say try to snag a 5700 at $300 or a 2060 deal, they are creeping toward $270 and come with two games.
 
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I'd say try to snag a 5700 at $300 or a 2060 deal, they are creeping toward $270 and come with two games.


He wants performance for a few years. I do not think the 2060 is going to offer that. Even a V56 (not OC'd) is going to struggle in a few years but the fact that they are $200-215 used abd there is a 95% chance with a reference board of a healthy undervolt and OC makes it a compelling choice. The extra 2GB of VRAM is also a nice bonus.

Nvidia really milked the market with the OG 2060. It doesn't have the vram capacity or bandwidth it Should have for a 1060 6GB successor IMO. The 2060 SUPER fixes all of that, but at a higher price point then what 2060s cost.
 
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